Dave A is inducting them. It's going to be awesome to watch Ed accept and shake hands.

That would actually be nice.


Imagine all the people living life in peace

This is gonna be The Pearl Jam Show

If you were him, I'd be eating a lot better.

Even if the ceremony is in Brooklyn (which kind of seems like a cruel fuck you to Cleveland but whatever), I'm still going to want to go to Cleveland this year to see whatever PJ-centric exhibit they have going. I have no interest in attending the actual induction ceremony. But, yeah, I hope to visit Cleveland next year.

Definitely the underrated comment of the day...

Happy for PJ but shocked Green Day didn't make it. Not many bands including PJ have multiple ten million selling albums.

Green Day were inducted last year

Im still a little baffled with the whole Dave thing. I want to know what the band thinks about it, and i really hope he can be, at least, playing a song there.

I don't think he needs to play a song. Be there, fine. But that's good enough. He hasn't been with the band in forever.

Yea, I agree that he doesn't have to play a song, necessarily (though I would love it). But there should really be some sort acknowledgment of his contributions at the event. It's not like they're getting in to the HOF for Backspacer, right?

I don't think Dave A could even play with this incarnation of Pearl Jam. Their live style is completely different from the last time Dave was behind the kit.

For sure...But the possibility exists that he could bring out a little more exuberance from Jeff and Stone. Was watching some Pinkpop '92 last week, and their fretwork was just so loose and limber.

I think they are who they are right now b/c of 2 key pieces to their narrative: 1) big band from the 'Seattle scene" and 2) band that survived and perservered on their own terms and inspired a loyal fanbase. I really think that #2 is just as important, and may eventually be even more important than #1, if not already.

In fact, if #2 never occurred, I don't think they'd be a first ballot induction. I think they are first ballot b/c they are still top of mind right now and out there and have an active career (as opposed to the other inductees, re: Tupac being deceased makes career evaluation much different and speedier). In an alternate universe, if they petered out by the late 90s they'd either be doing the lame reunion thing or they'd be playing to half full theaters (think Alice in Chains or Smashing Pumpkins right now, maybe a little bigger than that).

So, yes, they are making it first-ballot b/c of albums and tours for Yield, Riot Act, and fuckyes Backspacer (imp best post-commercial peak album after Yield). If they petered out, they'd be in that other batch of contemporaries alongside AIC, SP, Jane's, Soundgarden, STP. Or similarly, left behind for years like their fellow 2017ers like Yes or ELO. Not a bad place to be at all, but not first ballot mortal lock inductees.

All said, I'm not a big HOF guy at all, I only think it's useful as far as people use it to discover their music and learning about their era, but that's it.

This is a great point.

Which also why Matt totally deserves to be there. And, yes, Dave A got shafted. I do feel for the guy. Maybe they just mixed up their Dave's?

But they aren't getting in for Ten, either. It is everything over 25 years. And for what, 16 of those years, Matt is the man. Fuck the rest of the drummers.

I really do think bands have to prove it the hard way to get to the status they currently enjoy. For PJ, it sort of happened in reverse. They had their grinding it out phase during the middle years, sustaining fans one at a time with their songs and live shows. They did it, and they deserve it.